The Protector in the Shadow
*Sorry I know I can get a bit melodramatic! I hope you guys liked the last chapter, and are totally pumped for this chapter because something magical happens! Like legit, it's what we've all been waiting for…Gimli shaves! (Just kidding) but God dangit I'm pumped! Enjoy mellon nin! - Ze*
Disclaimer: You know I think I forgot a disclaimer in my last few chapters…hehe…I still don't own.
*Past*
*Present*
Chapter Thirteen: A Lost Child
They didn't seem to walk for long; their trip was taken in silence. The sound of the leaves of the trees crunching beneath their feet, the larks and doves of the forest making their song ring above their heads. She was glad there was silence; she didn't want to process what she had just witnessed. The loss of someone who had saved her, no she wasn't indebted to him, she was a friend, and an adopted creatures. She was lost, so lost she hardly noticed anyone slow themselves to admire the city.
"Caras Galadhon...the heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light." Haldir said with a brief look of pride before the bleak unchanging expression again covered his face.
It gave off a blue hue; the lights were not artificial and not caused by a fire. It was the power of elves, the gift they possessed. To make something out of nothing is what they seemed to do best. Though Lyavain wasn't focused on being in the city, she was more worried about the climb that they still had to face before she even got a chance to glance upon the face of her kin. The time seemed like far too long, and there was still far too much to do. They had fallowed the path far beyond nightfall before they stood in their very spot. Though Ava had not stopped. She was almost a head of them now, pacing slowly beside the ever so graceful Haldir, who had mentally made a note to slow his stride for her.
When her pace started to slow even more he simply halted looking over his shoulder. "We cannot linger, we need to make haste. You wolven friend looks far too weak for another long journey." Haldir was showing compassion to the creature he was indebted to, and it wasn't because he was indebted to her that he did such things. He was seriously starting to fear for her, she might have looked sturdy, but he could see her sway in exhaustion. He could smell the drops of blood that fell from her maw every once and again, and he could hear the slowing of her breath.
She glared at him with a vicious expression daring him to call her weak again, though she couldn't force a snarl out, she couldn't even thing of a sentence to growl out, only silence. Their pace quickened and they started to climb the stairs that wrapped around the trunk of the tree, she remembered this place. She remembered it from all those years ago.
"Do the stairs trouble you, Indyo?" the Lady of Light questioned with a concerned glace at Lyavain who stood panting at the very top of the platform all the way above the trees. Lyavain looked out all around, her hair the color of the moon fluttering behind her. A grey dress clung to her frame loosely; she looked like a child in the shadow of her elder, and grandmother Galadriel. A mere infant in the presence of the goddess. Who out aged her greatly.
"I'm simply not used to them; it has been long since I've climbed so many, milady." She said with a scoff after finally looking up to her grandmother with a small smile. "Soon I will run up them, Haldir will have trouble keeping up! You soon shall see." She said with a small giggle to the woman who was so much above her. But really, she was the daughter of a Princess, how far away were they in all honesty?
The Lady of the Wood let out a soft bell like laugh, though in the presence of company she never showed emotion. She always seemed to be bright with the girl when they were alone. "Poor Haldir, so much to live up too." she said with a bright expression to the wolfling at her side, "I'm sure he'll fight with ever stride until the last step. Mark my words Lyavain, he's not easily beaten." She warned looking at the girl with a serious expression. "I worry about his feeling of distaste for you my child. If he gets too rough, wild child or not, you're still a woman, and should be treated as such." A bit of seriousness crossed her face as she stared at the grandchild at her side. It had been a long time since the creature had shown up, being drug behind Gandalf the grey in protest. How happy the Lady had been since the child had come to her to stay until Gandalf's return.
"I am most grateful for your words grandmother, but do not worry about me. I have lived many years on my own; Haldir is simply like a bear to me. Angry and moody when you first meet, but soon enough they grow on you." She was completely serious, but the comparison between Haldir and a bear seemed to amuse Galadriel.
"Indeed, that is most appropriate for our Haldir. Such a fine man he is."
She was walking behind the rest; Haldir had asked one of the Elven guards to walk at her side for him. She did fine for the first few hours, but soon her breathing passage was not open. Her hope started to vanish as soon as her oxygen did. All strength faded and she slipped, so close to the platform she watched as the shadowy figures a head vanished from her view as her body simply gave up, there was a gurgling noise that escaped her throat as she lay there. Unmoving with blood shot eyes, she almost started to cry, but the whining noise was all she could make. She tried to stand, but no strength could be found in any part of her body. The Elf at her stead was speaking to her, but she could only stare at him with a far away expression.
It was depression that had hit her the hardest; she was so very close to her salvation. She felt her body being lifted off of the ground; the Elf was much stronger than she had thought she was glad for misjudging him. She was barely coherent enough to notice they were moving, but she felt pain with each step climbed. Each step devoured was two more back. When they reached the top she found Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel already discussing Gandalf's death, and the rest they would be given here.
"My Lady." The Elf said loudly above her as she was gently carried before the creature of light and placed in front of the leaders of Lothlórien. The woman stopped her sentence completely at the sight of her lost child before her.
"What has happened to her?" She questioned, stepping down from the higher step she had once been on, her voice was collected. Though her eyes shown a different light, the deep blue color swirled with much emotion for the wolfling. The creature that had grown so dear to her old all knowing soul. In many ways Lyavain was much like her grandmother, she was elegant, and graceful to the eye. Powerful and charming in many ways, and she held the gift of sight. Which was not exactly the best thing, but Ava counted her blessings.
The guard shook his head as he stood slowly being careful around the Great Wolf of their people. "She slipped on the stair and could not stand. I found it odd for the many years she lived in out limits." He said lightly with his head bowed in respect, he wouldn't be caught disrespecting their Lady, even more so not now. She would be broken from the potential sickness that ailed her kin.
She nodded slightly watching as Lyavain stood with a huff, some of the blood splattered from her mouth like it was pushing her. She stepped forward towards her kin her light eyes staring at her Lady with as a look almost as chilling as the one she was receiving from her. A voice in her skull brought her out of the shadow she was in. "What has happened Indyo?" the voice called with a soft bit of worry. Her hand reached to touch Ava, but she backed up a step so the woman would not get blood on her hands. "Why do you step away my child? What has happened?" Galadriel was panicked and worried, why would her kin step away from her? What had she done to offend the creature?
"I wish you to not dirty yourself, Grandmother." She cooed weakly into the Lady's mind with a gentle expression, the sorrow was plastered on her face. "I have…been…trapped…in this…form." Her panting was becoming heavy, the shallow breaths not enough to deliver oxygen to all the places it needed. "Like with Haldir…so long ago."
She referred a situation quite similar to the one they were in now, being trapped in the forms was not a new thing, and in fact it had happened once before, long ago, just thinking about it made her body quake lightly, the fear of the pain soon outweighed her fear of being figured out. Her heart was breaking as she stared up at the last of her bloodline. It was almost as if she was begging for protection. "Lay down." Her grandmother commanded coolly. Lyavain fought the command but soon her legs gave in her body collapsed to the ground as she looked around in horror. "Who commanded you?" She asked with a light stare across the faces of the Fellowship. Her eyes cold but her voice relayed none of her feelings of distaste or dislike. She didn't answer at first, her eyes landing on Frodo and staying on them. Lady Galadriel noticed this and loved her gaze to the Ring bearer. "Frodo Baggins. Do you know the answer to the question I've spoken?" She questioned with a light expression.
"The others do not know!" Lyavain squeaked quickly, moving her eyes to land on the Elven queen before her.
"No knowledge at all?" she questioned looking across the fellowship, "Is this why you asked him to send you to your death?" She questioned kneeling down finally next to her grandchild. Her heart started to pound, she knew what was coming next. "I will help you. But do not fear. Your friends will come to trust you again." The fellowship was confused, they hadn't a clue what was going on, or what the Lady of the Wood was speaking of. Only Frodo knew, only he was aware of what was to come! "My Lady! She's fought all this time for nothing?" He questioned with a shocked expression the entirety of the fellowship turned to stare in even more confusion. What on earth was he speaking of?
"Frodo, if I do not do this. She will die. If her memory is correct, she should have been dead 2 days ago. I almost couldn't save her from fading the last time this has occurred. 4 days is more than enough to ensure she may never shift again." Galadriel was clear her mind was made up; nothing good was going to come of this.
"What is happening?" Aragorn inquired as he stared at the scene unfolded before his cloudy eyes.
"I'm saving the child of darkness. My Indyo, my grandchild. I will not let her pass into shadow once again." The woman said darkly, not looking up from the creature before her. Her eyes closed and hesitation gripped her, but she would not stop, she would not give up. She must save the child she had almost lost before.
There was a black cloak draped over her body as Galadriel, seer of all, Lady of the forest wept violently over the loss of her Grandchild. Why? She could have saved her! She found herself dreading everything, everything sounded horrible, sounded distorted why was this happening? She watched as her granddaughter who had one second ago passed into shadow, faded from the earth started to convulse, started to seize like a creature that was unwilling to die. She heard moans and groans come from the girl, watched as one moment the black haired dead girl lay, was slowly rising the black cloak dropped down and blonde hair, the color of light, the color of moon beams fell far past her lower back. She was frightened; her azure eyes were bright and alert as she had just risen from the dead. "How?" Galadriel asked with a disbelieving expression. "The Valar did not want me." Lyavain breathed with a dark expression on her face as she turned to see her grandmother. "It was not my time."
"Child of the moon, once fallen to shadow, I offer you a hope," the woman said with a small gasp of air as she stood moving back from the wolf, she did not want to do this, "and I offer you relief. Lyavain, daughter of the Beast. I release you from your binds." The words were soft, spoken quick, but they were like knifes in Ava's side. Her body seemed to tremble, it seemed to quake like the earth around Mount Doom, and Mordor. She seemed to be whining, she was begging not to feel this pain. She did not want to betray her friends. She would much rather die.
But she could not die. Frodo needed her.
*Well I'm embarrassed, what's this? Yet another cliff hanger? So I totally didn't update yesterday. I'm sorry about that! It was a completely unintended, I was like "I'll update tonight" and I wrote half of it then...but then I remembered my classes started up again this morning. I realized this at 11:30, and I had to be up by 4am to take care of all 6 of my horses by 5, so I could be in class and have all horses done by 7. So it was annoying. I shall post two or three chapters today to make up for that fact. Thanks so much! R&R for love! Thanks to all my story alerts, favorites, and reviewers! Love you guys!- Ze*